Andy Cowell unveils Aston Martin F1’s plan, prioritizing sustainability and long-term growth while avoiding short-sighted, season-specific gambles.
Aston Martin F1 has expressed its ambitions since 2020, when Lawrence Stroll acquired Racing Point and the Aston Martin brand. However, aside from a few podiums in 2023, results have been slow to materialize. Andy Cowell, the team’s new director, explains how he hopes to change this and what he has implemented.
“My first task was to get to know the people. I spent a lot of time talking to individuals: those within the company and those outside it, like our partners Aramco and Honda,” said Cowell.
“I don’t have direct experience in aerodynamics or designing a Formula 1 car as a whole, which gave me the opportunity to ask a lot of questions.”
“I talk to people and I listen. The listening part is the most important. It may sound so basic, but it’s been crucial for me to understand who the people are, what their roles are, how everything fits together, how the organization operates, where things work well, and where they can be improved.”
“The development the team brought to Austin for last year’s United States Grand Prix provided a clear example. It didn’t deliver the expected results; we had to dig deeper to understand why that happened and implement changes so that when we bring our next development to the track—which will be our 2025 car for the season opener in Melbourne—we are in a better position and it delivers the expected outcomes.”
He outlines the requirements for building a winning team: “It all comes down to creating a sustainable organization—sustainable in the sense that you don’t compromise future performance by betting everything on a single season.”
“Yes, it’s essential to focus on developing this year’s car, and there must be a group of people dedicated to extracting the best performance from the car on track throughout the season. But it’s equally important to ensure enough focus is placed on developing next year’s car and the one after that.”
“You need to avoid a scenario where people straddle multiple years because they tend to prioritize immediate needs, which often leads to future priorities being compromised. It’s about investing in the future, investing in those new ideas that no one else has implemented yet, and achieving ambitious goals.”
“You need a group of people who are willing to climb Everest more than once, who are ready to do whatever it takes to reach the summit and then do it all over again. That’s the fundamental attitude and spirit Lawrence and I are trying to cultivate within the company.”
Cowell’s objective is now to align the entire team with his vision: “You need to get people to believe that those around them are doing great work. Every time they look up to see what others are doing, they should be amazed by the achievements of their colleagues.”
“I find that this motivates people to work even harder, to push themselves further, and to find ways to improve—because greatness tends to be contagious. I want our people to step outside their comfort zones, to think creatively about how we can continually improve what we do.”
“This is how we will ultimately become pioneers. That’s the mindset I’ve been trying to instill from my very first day. At no point should you ever think you’ve achieved perfection. If I ever say, ‘This is perfection,’ that’s the moment you should show me the door, that’s the moment I should retire.”
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